A Lucerne man will spend the next decade in state prison for his role in the fentanyl death of a Lakeport teenager. Prosecutors say 28-year-old Joe Nathan Boggs Jr. gave fentanyl to 17-year-old Illeanna Makena Frease, who died in November 2023. Boggs struck a deal with the DA’s office last month, pleading no contest to involuntary manslaughter and giving drugs to a minor instead of going to trial this week. It was Lake County’s first fentanyl homicide case ever.
Congressman Mike Thompson is hosting a virtual town hall tonight at 6pm to talk about the economy. He’ll be joined by author and economic commentator Kyla Scanlon for a conversation on how national policies are affecting people locally. You can RSVP to join Zoom or you can watch it live on Representative Thompson’s Facebook page.
Ukiah’s Recovery Center is unveiling a new treatment pavilion and 24-bed sober living dorm that officially opened last week. The expansion increases treatment capacity by 20 percent, with more space and beds for people who enter the program unhoused. Local leaders say it means clients can stay up to six months instead of just three, giving them a stronger shot at recovery and stability. The $8 million project was made possible through state grants and a partnership between Ford Street Project and Northern Circle Indian Housing Authority.
After years of destructive fires, two Northern California congressmen want to make sure victims aren’t hit with a tax bill on their relief checks. Rep. Doug LaMalfa and Rep. Mike Thompson have proposed extending a federal law that shields wildfire survivors from paying taxes on disaster aid beyond its 2025 expiration date. The current law covers payments for basics like temporary housing and lost wages, but survivors often have to amend old tax returns to get refunds. The new bill lets them claim the exemption right away. Thompson said it’s wrong to tax people on money meant to help them rebuild their lives. If passed, the protections would run through 2032.
This Saturday marks California Coastal Cleanup Day, when people all over the state pitch in to clear trash from beaches, creeks and parks. More than 47,000 volunteers took part last year, and organizers hope to top that number with a new scavenger hunt twist. Over 700 “Trashure Hunts” will be staged statewide, with prizes like Giants tickets, hotel stays and even e-bikes. Locally, cleanups are happening in Gualala, Newport, Ukiah, Mendocino and Fort Bragg.
Hopland is tv famous after a clue on the game show Jeopardy earlier this month pointed to California’s very first brewpub, opened in the town in 1983. The Mendocino Brewing Company made history pouring Red Tail Ale out of a 150-year-old brick building that’s worn many hats over the decades. For a town of under 1,000 people, the nod was a reminder that Hopland punches above its weight class in California history.
California’s "Warm Line" mental health hotline is about to shrink dramatically after major budget cuts. Nearly 200 staff members or about two third of the workforce are being laid off, which means the service could drop from answering 30,000 calls a month to as few as 5,000. The 24-7 line may also lose its around-the-clock availability as leaders work with the state to decide on new hours. The nonprofit running the hotline says it is developing a scaled-back plan to keep the service open in some form.
